Technology and AI sit at the heart of our fast-paced lives today. Think of the burgeoning e-commerce sector, for instance, where digital apps enable the quick delivery to home or office of items that a customer needs. As these realities grow more salient, a question worth reflecting on is: What does it mean to be a valuable professional today?
Nuance of skills
Recent layoffs across major global tech firms point to a shift larger than business cycles or market corrections. They reveal how quickly skillsets are evolving. Traditional, linear career paths are becoming less popular, and new roles that never quite existed before are becoming more common, even indispensable, to meet today’s needs.
A natural expectation from talent, in this unfolding future, is to grow continuously and adapt across emerging responsibilities and fields. While skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analysis, strategic planning, and technology top the demand from employers, the key attraction remains good talent that typically combines specialised, domain-based skills with high-calibre work to produce results, achieve desired outcomes, and make a difference.
Human imperative
The question is not whether work will change. It already has! The appropriate question is whether we are prepared to keep learning as it changes. Think: AI ethics officers, carbon accountants, employee experience (EX) managers, information security analysts, and more. It is also imperative to take ownership of one’s work and get things done. We need thinkers and doers now more than ever.